Tour The Delta, Giving Wicker Park a Tour Down the Mississippi

When it opens the first week of September, Southern-inspired restaurant The Delta, 1745 W. North Ave., will be slinging Mississippi Delta-inspired food — with a strong focus on Delta-style hot tamales.

The three partners behind it, however, extend the southern influence to the décor and atmosphere. They were inspired by the places they encountered during a recent research excursion from Tennessee and Mississippi, from fancy hotels and antebellum-era Victorian homes to little juke joints.

The space seats about 40 people with an additional 38 seats on the patio. The exposed brick walls are decorated with assorted antiques sourced from and inspired by the partners’ travels — look for framed photos, flea market oil paintings, and a flower boxes on the wall holding cotton plants, a salute not only to the Southern crop but the people who grew and harvested it.

Outside, the patio offers an intimate, enclosed space surrounded by a tall white fence and empty picture frames, plants and white bistro tables.

The bar features 13 seats — available for dinner seating as well — and rustic, reclaimed barn wood for shelving. One other interesting piece of art, though not inspired by their trip to the Delta region, is a large oil painting of two Mickey Mouse-like cartoon hands held together to form a triangle in the space between them –a la diamond hand sign. However, triangle is also the Delta symbol, which is a subtle nod to the restaurant’s name (though, you could be forgiven if you think looks it looks more like a spade from deck of cards).

Take a look at the photos below and preview The Delta before it opens.